


Way Off Broadway

by quizasvivamos



Category: Glee
Genre: Fluff, Humor, M/M, Road Trips, Romance, Travel, klaineroadtrip2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-06
Updated: 2015-08-06
Packaged: 2018-04-13 05:21:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4509381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quizasvivamos/pseuds/quizasvivamos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>2nd stop of the klaineroadtrip2015: Kurt and Blaine make a detour on their way to Philadelphia to visit a very small town in southern New Jersey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Way Off Broadway

“Why’d you turn off here?” Kurt said, suddenly alarmed when Blaine turned the wheel and rounded the exit, taking them off the highway. “I thought we were headed to Philadelphia next?”

“We are, but I wanted to make a pit stop somewhere. It’s a little surprise.”

“With you, surprises could be really great or generally terrifying.”

“Hey,” Blaine said, feeling offended.

“You have to admit that your track record is not great, Mr. Gap Attack,” Kurt teased.

“I can tell you’re never going to let me live that down. Haven’t I been humiliated enough?”

“Yes, but I still love teasing you about it. Especially when you get all pouty. It’s cute.”

“But I think I’ve more than redeemed myself with the proposal…”

Kurt hummed, thinking about the “surprise” proposal and just how much of a surprise their wedding was too, albeit, a very pleasant one, though their day was not at all as he had imagined it might have been or how they’d planned it together. Their life had a way of pulling the rug out from under them on numerous occasions and blindsiding them, but they had each other to catch them and put them back on their feet when it did. “Yes, but stop distracting me and avoiding my question. It’s going to be dark in a few hours, and our hotel is expecting us to check in some time today.”

“Relax, Kurt. I already called the hotel, and as long as we get there before midnight, we won’t lose our room. And we will get there. You’ll just have to trust me on this one.”

Kurt let out a slightly aggravated sigh. “I do, Blaine. I trust you.”

“Good. Because we’re only a few minutes away now.”

Once they were off the highway, it felt like they were moving at a crawl, the speed limit suddenly plummeting to only 25 mph, and then they were rolling down a narrow street in a tiny suburban town. Kurt shifted in his seat to gaze out the window, wide-eyed and curious. All around them were small Victorian style houses squished tightly together with hardly a few feet of yard between some of them. He quietly admired the architecture and details like the latticed wraparound front porches. As they passed one that was in slight disrepair, a shiver ran the course of Kurt’s spine.

“I heard about this small historic town and found it has a bit of a hidden gem. There’s a notable theater in the downtown area called The Broadway Theatre where several big names have performed. The town’s main street is also called Broadway. I thought you’d get a kick out of that.”

“It’s so quiet here. This is like one of those towns where ghost stories and urban legends come from, I can feel it. It’s sort of spooky but quaint and kind of charming at the same time. How did you even find this place?”

“Well, you know how I follow a few blogs? While on one particular show choir blog, I came across another that highlights actors with smalltown upbringings who made it. I guess I’m kind of hoping we’ll end up on there one day soon. Anyway, there was an article about Madeline Brewer who played Tricia Miller in the first season of  _Orange is the New Black_. She’s from here, Pitman. Did you know she went to a performing arts school in New York just like we did? And now she’s on television,” Blaine said in awe. 

“So she’s a big deal here, I’m sure,” Kurt said.

“Pretty much.”

“Do you think Lima would treat us the same way? Like some big-time stars and hometown heroes?”

Blaine laughed. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter.”

“You always were too humble, Blaine. There’s a certain satisfaction that comes with rubbing your success in the faces of the haters and the people in a town that tried to keep you down.”

“I don’t doubt that, and you’ll have your moment. But that shouldn’t be your only motivation, and I know it’s not.” Blaine pulled the car into an angled parking spot behind the town’s public library and put it in park. “C’mon. We only have a few hours, so let’s have a little fun.”

They climbed out of the car, and Kurt spun around slowly to take in his strange surroundings. Immediately behind them ran railroad tracks that seemingly cut the town in half, crossing diagonally right over and intersecting the main street at one point before disappearing into some trees.

Everything was small and very old, all the shops connected in a strip that was interrupted only in a few spots by alleyways and sidewalks. Historic, Kurt supposed was the correct term, though it was odd to see a sort of juxtaposition of the new and old in the downtown area alone. Some buildings were obviously the original, restored and maintained for several decades, while others were completely new or renovated and showed almost no signs of their original structure.

“The theater is right across the street in the center of the block,” Blaine said, grabbing Kurt’s attention. “Just wait until you see it.”

When they reached the theater’s front, Kurt looked up at the marquee. In large, red neon letters it read “Broadway”, above it, a fan of red, green, and blue lights that vaguely resembled the NBC peacock symbol.

All in all, it was a bit humorous to see this vaudeville-style theater with its garish neon-tube accessories that boasted of the greatness of American theater and Broadway so far from New York and so out of place in this town, appearing like it was plucked out of the 1920s and squeezed in between equally as narrow but less showy storefronts. The building looked so small, and he wondered how a theater could even fit inside, but, surely the outward appearance was deceiving him.

Beneath the name of the theater in red, movable lettering was advertised that there were currently performances of  _Miss Saigon_  every weekend. But it was midweek, Kurt realized, feeling a bit disappointed, knowing that they’d come here and wouldn’t even be seeing a show.

“Oh,” Kurt whined. “It’s not even open.”

“I know.”

“So how are we going to get inside?”

“I pulled some strings, made a phone call to the owner and a donation, and they’re allowing us a private tour.”

“Well aren’t you on top of things,” Kurt said. “You must have been really excited about this theater, and now I really want to know what’s so special about it.”

They slowly approached the entrance together.

“Try the doors, they should be open,” Blaine said, and Kurt did, pulling on one of the large, metal handles, and the door swung open with ease.

The inside was brightly lit, and Blaine made a quick trip to the box office on their right. There was a woman there who’d been expecting them, and she granted them entrance to the lobby.

Blaine guided Kurt farther inside, both of them taking note of the high ceilings, two, sparkling, crystal chandeliers, the grand, carpeted staircase with its ornate railing on the left that led up to the mezzanine and box seats, the black and red checkered tiled floor, gold rectangular trimming along the light-colored walls, small concessions area in the far left corner, and then another two sets of double doors that led into the house of the theater.

“This is amazing,” Kurt said once they set foot inside. “It really is just like a Broadway theater. It feels like we just stepped through a wormhole or something and we’re back home now.” He turned his head up, beginning to walk through the aisle between the red-cushioned seats as he took it all in. “How -? I mean, it’s like some sort of witchcraft. It didn’t look nearly this large from the outside, and I never would have expected - this.” He gestured toward the stage and then the box seats and balcony.

Hanging high above them were two more crystal chandeliers, appearing to be originals, and eight box seats, staggered and stacked along the walls beside the stage, every bit of wall and railing intricately decorated. Kurt’s eyes finally fell upon the stage, and he walked toward it, so enthralled by everything and sucked into the moment.

When he turned back around to see Blaine’s reaction, he was nowhere to be seen.

Kurt called out for him and then nearly jumped out of his skin, swearing loudly when the beginning of the overture from  _The Phantom of the Opera_  began to play, blaring from what sounded like an actual pipe organ, but after a few seconds, the music stopped, and deep, boisterous laughter rang out and reverberated through the empty theater.

“Holy crap, Blaine!” Kurt yelled, his voice somewhat strangled and heart beating rapidly against his rib cage. He clutched at his chest, catching his breath. “That wasn’t funny! You scared me half to death!”

“It was hilarious,” Blaine called from the back of the house, coming out of the shadows. “It’s too bad I can only play the very beginning of the overture on that thing. That pipe organ is amazing though, completely original and restored.”

“Yeah, that is a shame,” Kurt said with all due sarcasm, scowling, but then he relaxed. “I’ll admit that was pretty cool, actually. How do you even know how to play what you did?”

Blaine shrugged.

“Jeez, I’m married to a freakin’ musical genius who can pick up any instrument and just play it.”

“Not really,” Blaine said, stubbornly denying Kurt’s claims.

“Mhmm, like I said earlier, too humble.”

Blaine brushed off his comment, slid his hand into Kurt’s, and began to tug him along now. They hopped up onto the stage, pivoting around to face the house, pausing when their backs were to the red, rippled curtain.

Blaine breathed in deeply, a smile taking over his face. Nothing compared to the feeling of just being on a stage, no matter where or what the situation, elevated and looking out into the audience, empty seats or full house. Kurt stood immobilized until Blaine gingerly grabbed his upper arms like he’d done once before years ago and guided his husband centerstage.

“There,” he said. “You’re now standing where people like Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, George Carlin, Abbott and Costello, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Mickey Rooney, and so many more have performed. This hidden little place in this no-name town is so rich with history.”

After a long meditative stretch of silence and a deep, quivering breath, Kurt finally spoke. “I can feel the magic here, all around us.”

“Could be haunted too,” Blaine whispered breathily by Kurt’s ear.

Kurt jumped as fingertips lightly grazed the back of his neck, raising his hair and sending goosebumps along his arms. “ _Blaine_!” he growled, whipping around, frustrated. “That’s not funny at all. You’ve completely destroyed the moment we were having.” His eyes flicked nervously left to right and back again. “Now I want to get out of here.” He shivered again, a pout upon his face.

Blaine chuckled in spite of Kurt’s discomfort. “If you weren’t so easy to spook…” He laughed a little more before calming down and taking Kurt into his arms. “I could be your Phantom,” he said softly, nuzzling against Kurt’s neck.

“I’d rather you be my Raoul,” Kurt said, his eyes falling closed as Blaine pressed a kiss to one of his known sensitive spots beneath his ear, and then another and another.

“I can work with that,” Blaine said, this time kissing Kurt briefly on the mouth. Blaine hummed a few notes of ‘All I Ask of You’ and then stopped with a sigh, hanging his head and gently shaking it.

“No impromptu duet?” Kurt said, cocking his head to the side. “It would be very unlike us to not take advantage of this opportunity.” His lips curled into a wide grin, his expression soft and genuinely inquisitive.

“You’re right,” Blaine agreed, looking directly into Kurt’s shining eyes now.

He reached forward and took both Kurt’s hands in his, hearing the music inside his head, and then Blaine opened his mouth and began to unashamedly sing out the first verse a capella…

And Kurt answered in his clear, mellow countertenor when his cue came, rising up to gorgeous soprano tones as they harmonized flawlessly.

_“Anywhere you go, let me go too_

_Love me, that’s all I ask of you.”_

The theater was filled with a deafening silence once again.

As if it had been scripted, their mouths met in a passionate kiss, familiar yet indescribably invigorating, the intense emotions of the song still flowing through them and fueling them, making the moment even more special.

After what felt like forever, the kiss dissolved into giggles, and they held each other for a few moments longer, both overwhelmingly blissful, standing together up on that stage, in an empty theater in southern New Jersey. They were so in love that all the silly shared moments between them, no matter where they were in the world, meant everything in the world to both of them. 


End file.
